


For You Are Me, and I Am You

by RandyPandy



Series: Asphodel Battle Network [7]
Category: Rockman Zero | Mega Man Zero, Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types, Rockman.EXE | Mega Man Battle Network
Genre: Allusions to MMZ, Alternate Universe - Minor Changes, Asphodel AU, BN-is-post-Legends, Battle Network 4, Battle Network 5, Cyber Elves - Freeform, Gen, Ghosts, MegaMan both is and is not Hub Hikari, Regal's appearance is brief, X is mentioned but he doesn't appear, for now, gameverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 23:55:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30046758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandyPandy/pseuds/RandyPandy
Summary: One day, Hub hoped that he would see Lan and MegaMan again.One day, MegaMan hoped that he and Lan would get to see Hub again.
Relationships: Hikari Saito | Hub Hikari & RockMan.EXE | MegaMan.EXE
Series: Asphodel Battle Network [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1067813
Kudos: 7





	For You Are Me, and I Am You

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, been awhile since I wrote for the MegaMan series! Hopefully I'm not too out of touch. :)
> 
> I'd also like you all to please remember that the BN timeline canonly has shown the existence of ghosts on multiple occasions.

MegaMan stared at the SoulCleanser program that the Mirror of Truth had given him, carefully tucking it away into his memory for later use. He shouldn't need it, as he and Lan had been _very_ careful not to give into temptation and use DarkChips ever since their fateful encounter with ShadeMan in Castillo.

_"MegaMan."_

At first, he thought it had been Lan that had spoken. But then he realized that the voice had sounded different. Regardless, he still asked, "Lan, did you call my name?"

"Huh? No? I didn't hear anything?"

_"MegaMan."_

A prickle went up his spine, the same prickle that did whenever he was thinking about ghosts, the same prickle he'd felt when he'd changed into HubStyle, the same prickle from the HubBatch NaviCust program (which had disappeared when Alpha had eaten him, but he had a feeling it had kept him alive in there until Grandpa had found him) and he slowly turned back around towards the mirror.

The mirror itself was still inactive, and the calm, gentle voice of the mirror had not been what had been calling his name. Instead, he could see something made up of pure light floating there. It was hard to make out the features on the being, but it appeared to be smiling kindly.

_"Hello, MegaMan."_

What in the world was that light? It was like it was looking through his very soul! Oh god, was it a ghost?! He was about to scream when something floated in front of it. Swallowing his emotions back, he stepped closer and carefully took it. It was a NaviCust program, and now that he was very close, he could see its face.

This ghost looked like Lan. "Is that..."

No, this ghost looked like _him_. "Me...?"

The ghost said nothing in response to that, and for a moment, MegaMan was afraid that it would try to do _something_ to him -- he'd been afraid of that ever since he'd realized that ghosts were a thing. However, it seemed to smile gently at him again, and whatever fear MegaMan felt dissipated.

_"...Be well, MegaMan."_

And then it faded away.

"MegaMan?" Lan asked. "Sorry, lost the connection there for a moment. You alright? No viruses?"

MegaMan stared at the HubBatch program -- a slightly altered version, but it was clear what it was -- and then at the spot that the ghost had been. "...I'm fine, Lan. Let's go home."

That... that had been...

And yet, instead of the Navi having his worst fears realized and losing all control of his body, all the other had done was smile and give him a program to help him. MegaMan took a deep breath and began to make the trek out of Black Earth.

* * *

After handing him the program, Hub Hikari watched as the Navi left, talking to Lan all the while, and smiled to himself once again.

He'd known early on that Lan was in good hands when it came to MegaMan, but this had been the first time that he'd truly been able to communicate to the two of them like this since they had been so close to one of the regions where the border between where the modern net and true Cyberspace connected. Even then, it had seemed like Lan couldn't detect him, but MegaMan had.

(Even before the mirror's test, and especially afterwards, he'd wanted to hug MegaMan and tell him that everything would be alright, but the Navi had _always_ been aware of him to a certain degree even if he hadn't understood it, and had been constantly skittish as a result. He didn't want to scare his _other_ little brother to deletion.)

He couldn't blame his father, Yuuichiro, for what he had done. His father had wanted to save him, and while using Dr. Cossack's Pulse Transmission System after creating an experimental Navi out of his DNA had been a good idea, it had... well, malfunctioned. It had _also_ resulted in his memories being copied into the poor Navi's shell.

Or at least, that was what Gramps and X had theorized when he'd questioned him the first time, sometime after MegaMan had wandered into their part of Cyberspace and had met X. But neither Gramps nor the ancient Cyber-Elf truly understood what had happened.

His father hadn't known any of this though. As far as his father had been concerned, he'd saved him. Even if he could, he didn't have the heart to tell the man.

In dying, he'd discovered something very interesting anyways: souls apparently went into the cyberworld, and had apparently been doing so for a long time now, if the people he had met there were any indication.

When MegaMan had come far too close to their portion of the cyberworld again, where the Cyberspace denizens had put the Mirror of Truth, Hub had slipped out, curious to see how his brothers (because truly, if MegaMan had his and Lan's DNA and was an individual, then he was Hub's little brother too, right?).

As a Soul, though, he'd learned that if he really wanted to, he could leap into a compatible shell. And MegaMan's would be perfect. He'd done it before, though he'd muted his presence and simply expended some of his energy so that MegaMan simply thought it was a special StyleChange, or a special NaviCust program.

But no.

His little brothers were doing fine. They didn't need him for now. So all Hub had done was speak a few words, try to reassure him, and give him a few gifts and retreated back into Cyberspace.

One day, Hub hoped that he would see Lan and MegaMan again.

* * *

For a long time, Hub had held a mostly non-interference policy. He was more than human now, far more than he ever would have expected, and it was hard enough as it was to connect to the modern net.

But Nebula Gray was something that wasn't even from the modern net. Regal might have 'created' it, based off of SoulNet, but even SoulNet itself had been the foray of two scientists that had come dangerously close to unraveling what Cyberspace was. And the DarkChips? When Hub had described them, X had seemed _afraid_ \-- as if he recognized them.

But ultimately, it was Lan calling his name and MegaMan's desperate attempts to free himself were what caused him to finally break his non-interference policy.

* * *

Was this the end? Was he going to get swamped with DarkPower from NebulaGray forever? They had been close... so close... MegaMan wanted to cry.

_"MegaMan!"_

"Wh-Who's there?!"

_"MegaMan! Let me help!"_

Something -- no, some _one_ was inside of him, and at first MegaMan was afraid that the DarkPower was beginning to seep back into him like it had the previous two times. But it didn't feel like the burning ice of darkness going through him, no. It was a warm, gentle heat, one that drove away the darkness.

"Who are you...?"

_"Let me help you disperse the darkness forever, MegaMan."_

MegaMan was silent for a split second, before, hesitantly, he asked, "...Are you...?"

_"Yes. I am."_

The Navi barely thought about it. "...Okay. Do as you wish. Just save Lan and the others, please." Even if he wanted to, MegaMan knew that he wouldn't be able to stop him.

* * *

Lan had heard Gramps speaking, which meant that SoulNet was properly working as Gramps had hoped it would. It had the added bonus of distracting Dr. Regal, which meant that he could slip past the DarkPower and into MegaMan's shell without anyone noticing immediately. However, fully immersing himself inside sent out a burst of energy that destroyed the DarkPower surrounding them, which both Lan and Dr. Regal noticed.

"M-Megaman... What's going on...?"

The Navi was still there, of course, but Hub was the one in control at the moment, using the Navi's body as an anchor to keep him in the modern net..

"Hub...?"

Hub didn't take his eyes off of Nebula Gray, but he smiled regardless. _"It's just like you said, Lan. We're always linked. Even without SoulNet!"_

"Hub..."

"I'm not done yet!" Regal growled. He sounded confused, and Hub hoped that he remained that way. The last thing Regal needed to learn right now was that dead people went to Cyberspace. Regardless, more DarkPower began to spill out of Nebula Gray's core, and Hub simply shook his head.

_"We know a power much stronger than evil!"_

"Nothing's more powerful than evil!" Regal snapped. "Be gone!"

 _"Regal,"_ Hub stated, raising his hand and gathering energy, in the manner that only the ancients used to be able to, _"your evil plan ends here!"_

He unleashed it, destroying the rift that had been opened, and sealing Nebula Gray (forever, he hoped). He kept his hand raised, grimacing when he realized that he had expended far too much energy, both in dispelling Nebula Gray and in maintaining his physical form, even with MegaMan as an anchor.

X had warned him that if he expended beyond his limits, then he would be putting himself in serious danger. He wanted to stay a little longer -- it was the first time that he had spoken to Lan, after all! -- but if he did so, then it could not only permanently kill him, but it could seriously harm MegaMan, too.

Slowly, he released his grip on his brother's shell, preparing to go back to what he used to be.

* * *

MegaMan's eyes widened when he felt his control over his body coming back, and the influence of... _him_ fading. He could still feel the warm, gentle embrace that he had held him in while using his shell, and also the affection as he was released.

_"The rest is up to you. Lan, MegaMan. My little brothers."_

"Hub," he whispered, so quietly that the others wouldn't be able to hear, collapsing to the ground. "It really is you."

But then Hub was gone, and Nebula Gray sprang back to life, and he had no more time to focus on it.

Later, when he reflected on it, he knew: Hub wasn't a scary, mean, or vengeful ghost. He was just a good person that cared about his family. Which, apparently included him, and that made him happy.

One day, MegaMan hoped that he and Lan would get to see Hub again.


End file.
